


Love and Science

by LoudandDangerous



Category: Captain America (All media types)
Genre: Buckys a doormat, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Hardcore Sex, I don't remember how to tag, Intern, M/M, METAL ARM, Mad Scientists, More tags as I go, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Scientist!Bucky, Scientist!Steve, Stark Technology, Virgin Bucky, love potion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-15 04:41:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4593186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoudandDangerous/pseuds/LoudandDangerous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's heard it time and time again.</p><p>"James, Don't play with things you can't control"</p><p>                               Or</p><p>"James, you can't have everything you want"</p><p>But there's a blond at the other end of the counter. </p><p>And Bucky wants him, badly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mad Scientist

Science was an easy sport if you knew what you were doing. Most people didn't, but James was just fine with that.

 

"I can handle it, it's no problem." He assured his co-workers. He slipped on the lab coat and worked on anti-toxins, sedatives and other medication until the sun rose and shone through the small window of his laboratory.

 

Sometimes, he tested them out on his co-workers in exchange for doing their work for them. It wasn't the best method, but James hated testing on animals. So he tested his co-workers, none of them have died so far, so that in itself is a reward.

 

He wasn't home often, he was either at the labs or getting a cup of coffee at the local diner. The job paid well, and he lived by himself so things ran pretty smoothly. Dames didn't interest him, he was into a fellow at the lab.

 

Unfortunately, that fellow was dating someone. A dame for that matter, so James hopelessly sat and daydreamed about what their life together would be like. The fellow of his eye was a slacker no less, but James didn't really notice. The fellow went by the name of Dominick and to James, Dominick was the world. Easy gray eyes that you could get lost in, slicked back black hair that had an ounce too much of Vaseline in it and he smelled like cinnamon and gingerbread. The man could cough and James would die from becoming overwhelmed that Dominick might be sick because of one of James' anti-toxins.

 

Usually when when he was left in the lab, he doodled things like James + Dominick with hearts around it. He'd been told from a young age that he couldn't have everything he wanted. He was okay with the fact that he couldn't have Dominick.

 

No one said that wanting was bad.

 

So he sat alone in the dimly lit laboratory and tested mixture, after mixture, after mixture, putting every one else's name on his work. When Dominick came to pick up the work in the morning, Bucky would blow him kisses when Dominick's back was turned. When an accident in the lab left James with only one arm, he created a metal one to replace it and when Dominick said it was cool, James let him put his name on it. 

 

Everything is perfect for him, he had a good job, a great friend (Whom he wanted to be more than friends with) and pretty much every one at the lab liked him. 

 

At least things _were_ perfect.

 

Until he left to get breakfast at the diner across the street.

 

He said to hello to the waitresses he knew and sat in his signature booth. The second to last one by the windows in the back of the diner. His usual order, Eggs, Bacon, dark roast coffee. The radio played the news, the quiet chatter of a few other patrons and the dingle of the bell above the door when it opened. James had finished his third slice of bacon when _he_ came in.

 

Glasses perched on his face, golden blond hair, a pearly white smile and a white lab coat, much like James'. James watched as he swayed across the to the counter, ordered and sat in a stool. Dominick couldn't match up anymore, James had one thing on his mind. A question.

 

Who was he?

 

The blond spun around on the stool before locking eyes with James. His gut did a flip when he walked over to James.

 

"You must work at Stark labs," He pointed out the window to the laboratory building. "Either that or you like wearing lab coats" He quietly giggled at his joke and made James wanna bend him over right there.

 

_"James, no, You just met him. You can't fuck him until the third date."_

 

The blond held his hand out. James took it with a firm grip and shook it. 

 

"I'm Steve, most of my friends call me Stevie. It's annoying but I wouldn't mind if you called me that." He blushed a little before releasing the grip.

 

"James, but some call me Jay or Jimmy."

 

"That's far too mainstream. You got a middle name?"

 

"Buchanan?" He tripped over his words at how straight foreword Steve was.

 

"I'll call you Bucky." He blushed again, "If that's okay with you" 

 

James nodded quickly before the bell rang and Steve went back to the counter to get his order.

 

He had a new nickname, a new friend and a new crush.

 

Today was going to be good.

 


	2. Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ''I wanted an excuse to hold his hand." Bucky shrugged and looked over to Steve. Steve noticed Bucky staring and blushed.

''Usually, I hang back in the labs and do everyone else's work for them.'' Bucky continued as they walked to the lab.

 

''Why?!'' Steve screeched so loud that a few birds flew away.

 

''Well, you know they go home to their families and significant others. I don't really have that, so I don't really care that much.''

 

The thought of Dominick and his girlfriend flashed across his mind. Something about the thought that would make him upset, didn't have the same effect.

 

''I bet you let someone put their name on that arm of yours.'' Steve joked as he poked the metal frame,

 

''I did!'' The brunet's smile sparkled like a teenage girl's with braces.

 

''You're a doormat, Bucky. Don't let them walk all over you.'' Steve rustled Bucky's brunt hair and set his heart aglow.

 

They stopped in front of the lab building,  Steve stopped and stared up at the building, taking in all it's glory. Bucky walked foreword and turned to Steve, holding his hand out.

 

''Are you coming, Stevie?'' 

 

Steve blushed and carefully took Bucky's hand. Steve stopped and stared up at the interior of the building. Shiny metal wrapping around the rails of the building, parallel stairs leading to another, bigger set, of doors. He turned around and looked up at the other 17 floors, wrapping inside the lab building. Bucky couldn't help but blush and smile at Steve, the way he was in awe at the building. 

 

''I don't think Howard's here right now, but he's a nice man once you get to meet him.'' Bucky explained to Steve, still staring at the office building. ''You're new here, right?''

 

Steve nodded. Bucky firmly put his hands on Steve's shoulder, making his heart leap, and turned him to the west side of the building. He pointed to a door on the 17th floor that Steve had to squint to see. 

 

''That's my lab, I'm on the top. That's where the empty labs are, you can go to Peggy to get your keys, lock and I.D.'' He pointed to a woman at the front desk. ''I'll go to my locker and be right back.'' 

 

Steve walked towards the front desk as Bucky ran off to his locker. After coaxing Jasmine into moving to an unoccupied locker with 5 bucks, he cleared out his locker of anything Dominick + James related and dumped it in the trash. Steve stood in the entry way and held up his lock, ring of keys and I.D with a wide smile on his face. 

 

_'God, I wish I had a picture of that.'_

 

''Hey look!, Your locker is  _right next to mine_!'' Bucky blushed. Steve smiled, leaned in the doorway and crossed his arms.

 

''I don't have anything to put inside it yet.'' 

 

''Well, you could lock it. You remember your combination?''

 

''Yep! 7-4-18!'' 

 

Steve moved towards the locker and locked his locker. 

 

''Show me the way, Buchanan!'' He playfully saluted to Bucky.

 

It took an hour to walk up all 17 floors to the top, they talked, joked and  _almost_ kissed (5 times), but once they reached the top, none of it mattered. The view was lovely from the top….

 

_Unless you have a fear of heights._

 

He dry-heaved and threw up on the linoleum flooring. Bucky patted his back and cooed before leaving to get him some water and aspirin.

 

Steve was on his hands and knees now, taking deep breaths before hurling again.

 

''It's not like this. I only throw up this bad when I'm with crushes or heights.'' He threw up again. ''In this case it's both.''

 

Bucky's face went red as he flagged down a custodian. Steve wiped his face with his lab coat sleeve and grimaced at the mess. Bucky motioned for Steve to follow him to his lab.

 

The lab was clean, pristine and shiny all around. Everything was wiped down neatly, nothing was left about and no papers were scattered. It was extremely clean for someone who spent an entire week in the office once doing everybody else's work. Bucky held a tech report in his hands along with a co-worker's anti-toxin formula sheet.

 

''I believe your lab is next to mine.'' He looked up from the papers and pointed to the west of the room to indicate that Steve's lab was on the other side. Steve pivoted his head to the west and stared at it like a lost puppy. 

 

''So I'm next to you?'' Steve's voice had hope in it, _a lot of hope actually_. Bucky nodded his head and stared back at the tech report. Steve blushed and left Bucky's lab. 

* * *

 

He walked down the hall to his lab, his I.D in the palm of his hands and a smile on his face. He stared down at the I.D, without looking where he was going. He smacked face first into a lab coat and fell on the ground, he readjusted his glasses and tilted his head to look at the behemoth before him.

 

''Watch where you're going.'' He snarled at Steve, still sitting on the floor. The man stormed past, swung the door of Bucky's lab open and bolted in. Steve brushed himself off and continued to his lab. 

 

The lab looked like Bucky's. Clean and taken care of with the exception of Steve's lab being far emptier than Bucky's. He examined the test tubes around the sink and opened the cabinet. He propped the tub of kerosine on the counter and stared at it with confusion and disgust.

 

''What the fuck?'' He whispered, a sharp tone of confusion in his voice.

 

''Hey Popsicle, that's for when you work late in the labs. They turn off the lights and heating.'' The man from earlier's arms were crossed with a disgusted look on his face as he leaned in the doorway. He walked towards Steve and placed his hand on the counter, leaning on it. Steve swallowed in fear as his heart rate spiked. ''You  _will_ be working late, right?'' He raised an eyebrow, but didn't move his hand.  

 

Steve shook his head slowly as he tilted his head up to meet the man's gaze. 

 

''My friend Bucky works late, and he's showing me the ropes here. I thought I'd stay late to keep him company.'' Steve pushed big glasses further upon his face until they were stabbing in the bridge of his nose. 

 

''Bucky?" He raised an eyebrow and laughed like a maniac. ''You mean  _Jimmy?_ '' He laughed even harder and bent down on his knees to catch his breath. He extended his hand out and pushed his googles onto his forehead. ''I'm Brock, but everyone calls me Dominick."

 

Steve extended out his hand, and gripped Dominick's with firm jealously. 

 

_This was Dominick, the same guy who took advantage of Bucky. The same guy who held Bucky's heart and squeezed it until it bled._

  

''Why?''

 

Dominick's face went dark with temporary fury, the smile dropped and the grip on Steve's hand tightened.

 

''Aren't you just a little detective?'' The voice was dark, firm and serious. He dropped Steve's hand and crossed his arms. ''I've got my reasons.'' He flicked Steve's forehead, scowled and left.

 

''What the fuck was _that_ about?'' 

 

A door in the back of the room swung open and almost gave Steve a heart attack. Bucky poked his head in with a smile that made Steve's heart flutter.

 

''Just wanted to check up on you. This door connects our labs, so…'' Bucky''s face went red. ''Just wanted to let you know.'' He playfully punched into the air and flashed a nervous smile. Steve held up a test tube and examined inside it although it was empty.

 

''I asked Dominick why they call him that if it isn't his name and he became extremely defensive.'' He looked up from the test tube and picked up a beaker. 

 

''He never told me why, but do you want to get some chemicals from the basement? I mean some acids and tox--'' It took Steve less than 3 seconds to say yes to Bucky. Bucky closed the connection door behind him and headed toward the front entry door to Steve's lab. 

 

''We'll have to make you a sign for your lab. It's not exactly  _vacant_ anymore is it?'' Bucky smiled at Steve and fought the urge to kiss him. ''Do you wanna take the elevator?'' Bucky asked, praying that Steve didn't question why they didn't take it the first time.

 

''No, I like spending time with you.'' Steve swallowed hard. Both of their faces going red as they shared an awkward moment of silence. 

 

''Shall we go?'' Bucky's face had returned to it's original color as he took a deep breath and held his hand out to Steve. Steve hesitated before taking it. Bucky pulled him into the stairwell and lead him down all 17 flights of stairs, hand in hand. Steve held onto his glasses as Bucky erratically ran down all the stairs. The view of Bucky's brunet hair flowing backward with velocity was lovely, the windows in the stairwell let sunlight project into the gray cemented part of the building and allowed Bucky's hair to light up and shine ever so perfectly. It took 15 minutes, 45 minutes less than the first time.

 

When they reached the bottom, Bucky halted and gripped Steve's hand. Steve held it with innocence as Bucky traced his finger down the directory and pointed to the basement door. 

 

''Tally-ho!'' He yelled with Steve's hand in tow. ''Let's go.''

 

Steve grinned and followed Bucky to the basement.

 


	3. Wanted

Too many cobwebs to count, fog surrounding from the 32 degree temperature, a few tarantulas in cryogenic freezing and a large silver vault. 

 

The vault was extremely warmer than the rest of the basement, Steve just guessed that it was because the chemicals were going to freeze if they weren't heated.

 

No. It was because the things  _living_ inside the chemicals had to sustain a heated environment in order to survive. There a few vaults off to the side, each labeled to the specific type of scientist they were for. 

 

_Medicinal Chemists._

 

_Apothecary._

 

_Pharmacist._

 

_OTC._

 

"What exactly does a medicinal chemist do?'' Steve perked up from the corner.

 

''They make the strange drugs that work only 50 percent of the time and the other 50 percent is made up of shitty side effects." Bucky explains from the corner. "Apothecary is pretty boring, The Pharmacist department of the labs are pretty basic and OTC is just a dumbed down level of Pharmacist." He opens a drawer and pulls out a syringe, a test tube and a bottle labeled Ascorbic Acid.

 

"What have you been working on?" Steve decides to begin trying to cooperate and start a project. 

 

''Rabies. Jonathan needs a rabies vaccine with vitamin C by tomorrow morning so I'm hauling ass to finish it." He kneels down and Steve can't help but stare. 

 

He's going to go mad when he's alone at night with Bucky.

 

"So you're just going to….?"

 

''Well, they're my friends. I mean, Brock--Fuck,  _Dominick_ has me working pretty much all the time so I guess that if I'm not working for him, I'll do it for everyone else. So I'm not showing favoritism."

 

Well, first of all, Who the fuck is Brock?

 

Second, if not already, it should be established that Bucky is a doormat.

 

"Whoever Brock is, or maybe he's Dominick, he needs to do his own things." Steve sits on the counter, almost knocking over a jar of some unknown substance. "I don't care who he is." Steve shrugs and watches Bucky look intently at a test tube. It's green and Steve thinks it looks gross. 

 

''What the hell is that?" 

 

''Simple, it's a base. It needs to make the medicine less acidic."

 

With this, Bucky gets up and stretches out. He looks tired and Steve thinks perhaps he should get some sleep.

 

But Bucky is far too invested in his work.

 

He heads up the stairs, quite excited to be working on something that isn't for Dominick. 

 

''So if his name is Brock, why do you call him Dominick?" Steve meanders a little behind Bucky, gaining pace since Bucky is walking a bit slow.

 

''I asked once, he said I should mind my own business and finish his. So I did." Bucky shrugs as Steve reaches him and walks beside him.

 

The sky is darker than it was before, Bucky looking up at the dreary 17 flights of stairs and he wonders wether he should walk and hold Steve's hand or just take the elevator.

 

He's too tired. He'll just take the elevator.

 

The elevator ride is short, Stark technology being the fastest in the business and Bucky wants to drop dead, forgetting the last time he slept. 

 

So he walks with Steve to the lab but wants to cry when he hears something other than quiet chatter about amino acids.

 

He can hear Dominick and his girlfriend in his lab, getting it on and Bucky wishes he never came to work.

 

Steve feels bad. He feels terrible that Bucky has to listen to his crush with someone else and he wonders what the hell is the matter with some people.

 

Maybe Steve will never know.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I kinda had a bit of a problem.
> 
> There's probably a bunch of flaws in the acids and bases they talk about but I can only go so far with 7th grade chemistry knowledge. 8th grade is doing nothing with this so just kinda stick around, it might get better.


End file.
